


Rainy Days

by ObsidianWing



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-15 00:12:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4585566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidianWing/pseuds/ObsidianWing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When days are gloomy and there's nothing to do but stay indoors and watch the world go by, Jean will find out there's more to a certain blonde than he'd been seeing all along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**A Not so Gloomy Day**

Days like today were usually spent indoors. When the sky was grey and dreary, and rain fell in heaps and pales. One wouldn't call this stormy weather, but it definitely wasn't lovely and calm. It was the kind of day where soldiers were encouraged to stay indoors and work on assignments rather than be out and training. Most of them were happy to oblige, but there were a few who disliked the thought of staying indoors and doing absolutely nothing.

Normally the commanders didn't care whether you got a little wet due to rain, but with it pouring heaps outside and practically making it impossible to see past a few yards, today would be an indoor day. Much to Jean's disappointment.

Of course he liked to take it easy from time to time. That's why he wanted to join up in the Military Police. But staying indoors, doing nothing, and just sitting around waiting for something to happen, was not his most favourite thing to do. Not even with the entertainment that was set in front of him thanks to Connie and Sasha.

In the mess hall, where the teen merely watched from afar while Marco silently ate his lunch, he saw Sasha and Connie arm wrestling for the last piece of bread. The two were pretty evenly matched, but Jean could tell by the look on her face that Sasha would win this round. Food was her strength to continue on as it was, so it was no surprise to him if she won.

The teen scoffed at the two before looking about the room for something a little more entertaining. As luck would have it, his eyes fell upon Mikasa as she – yet again – berated Eren for his behaviour. Usually she was seen with him and their little blonde friend Armin, but he was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Probably reading one of his books in the library or something. It seemed rather pointless of him since nothing about today was going to be graded. Not that he stood a chance to graduate in the top ten.

Armin just wasn't all that special.

Now Mikasa, on the other hand, was a prize all on her own. She was tough, ruthless, and the very epitome of perfection in a soldier. Not only that, but she was stunning in her appearance. Her face clean and mark-free, her eyes deep and dark, and her black hair light and combed free of any knots. All in all, she was spectacular. If time could stop for even a moment for Jean, he'd spend that moment simply admiring her every feature. Unfortunately, time continued on. And in that time Mikasa was completely devoted to Eren. Jean never understood her dedication to the boy, and he didn't want to. He wanted her to notice  _him_  for once and notice how much better he was than the scrawny little hothead.

But there was nothing he could do. Mikasa had her devotion to Eren, and Jean had his to her.

Jean heard a chuckle from beside him and looked to see Marco smiling up at him.

"I'd say go talk to her, but the last time you did that Eren tried to choke you."

The taller of the two scoffed and leaned back in his seat. "As soon as he's out of the picture I'll get her alone and work on getting her on my side. She can't be dedicated to one person forever. Especially someone as whiny and pessimistic as Yeager."

"I hear they go back to childhood days, though." Marco explained, sitting up a bit. "They grew up in the same household. They helped out Armin with bullies and…"

"That doesn't change a thing." Jean interrupted, glancing up and down Mikasa to better observe her. "Here she has more opportunities if she's willing to back off from him once in a while and look."

"Which she isn't." The dark haired teen commented with an eye-roll as he took a sip of his drink.

Jean grumbled as he stood from his seat. "I'm going back to the barracks."

"Lovely day for a nap!" Marco joked as the tawny haired boy passed him, lightly smacking his head as he laughed.

Jean took one last glance at Mikasa before feeling his eyes roll themselves and his throat give a grumble of displeasure. What she saw in Yeager was something he'd never understand and never want to. Eren was preachy, over the top, and always seemed to be pissed at nothing in particular. It didn't help that he treated everyone around him like they were beneath him in some sort of scale of who deserved more or less respect. Even Mikasa and Armin, who were known to be his 'best friends' usually got the short end of the stick when dealing with him. Yes, Eren made a few good points about defeating titans and strengthening up for battle. But where he learned hatred and malice from the attack in Shiganshina, others learned fear and distrust.

Jean could see it in their eyes.

Some like Reiner and Annie learned to fight and to not be afraid to die. But people like Bertolt and Krista were a different story. People who were afraid of dying and watching titans consume others. It was a scary thought on its own, but actually  _living_ through it.

And then there were people like Armin. People with eyes of true terror and fear, indecision and chill. People who were only here because they had nowhere else to turn and had nothing to live for anymore. People who woke up each day dreading the next and reliving the past within their dreams. Yes, Jean had observed Armin as much as any other, and even he was fearful of what lay beyond those somber orbs. Maybe he'd witnessed too much of the attack, or maybe he saw nothing at all and yet still felt the pain of losing so many to the creatures they knew as titans.

It was a scary thought.

And it was on everyone's minds.

The teen hummed slightly to himself as he covered his head from the pouring rain. Thinking again about the blonde and his quiet demeanor. Maybe he knew more than he let on? It wasn't impossible. Maybe there was something he wasn't sharing with the rest of the soldiers. Well… that was possible anyway since no one really shared  _everything_  about themselves. But unlike Mikasa's quiet attitude, Armin's was shier and more nervous. Not only that, but he had the habit of always repeating the phrase 'sorry' even when he did nothing wrong in the slightest. Jean chalked this up to just him being nervous most of the time, but then… why even become a soldier?

Just as Jean got out of the rain and under the protection of the barrack's porch roof, he noticed the object of his thoughts was sitting outside in the cold reading an unfamiliar book. The cover didn't have a legible title, but it did have a pretty gold vine design that looped and twirled about gently and carefully. For a moment Jean wondered where exactly Armin had even found this book, but quickly let the thought go when he realized it was better not to ask. It was doubtful that the blonde would even answer him with anything other than 'sorry'.

He strode up to the blonde and tried to look him in the eye. "Good book?"

The blonde jolted at the voice making Jean snicker slightly. Though it wasn't in good taste, making the blonde jump was actually pretty funny sometimes. He always seemed to be jittery or skittish around those he didn't know too well. Even then Eren and Mikasa were usually able to make him jump in surprise a few times.

After taking a breath the blonde brought his knees to his chest and nodded. "Yes… err, it is."

His voice could barely be heard above the clacking of the water on the roof above them. Wasn't he aware of how silent he was most of the time?

Jean leaned on the railing. "What are you doing reading out here though? Aren't you afraid of getting the pages wet?"

The blonde shrugged slightly. "It's fine if I stay here and away from the edge. Besides, it's nice out today and I want to enjoy it."

Jean blinked, dumbfounded by the boy's answer. "Are you blind or just not feeling well? Because, if you may look out in front of you, it is pouring out and doesn't seem to be stopping."

Armin flicked at a page in his book and bit his lip. "I can see that, Jean. But… I like the rain."

Once again, the taller of the two blinked. "Okay… care to tell me why?"

The blonde was silent for a moment before scooting over and patting the ground beside him. When Jean took a seat, he showed him what was in the book he was reading.

"Rain doesn't come from nowhere, Jean." He explained, pointing at a specific picture in his book at that showed the cycle of water as it was. "Most of the water comes from mountains or these places called the polar ice caps. The ice from them melts and trickles down into the oceans and seas. From there it does this thing called 'evaporation' and the water sort of… lifts off into the sky. When it gets too heavy with water, it forms clouds and the clouds expel the water and it hits us. Clouds can travel for miles on end with plentiful supplies of water before it becomes too heavy for them to carry anymore and it starts to rain. The reason I like this rain so much is because it's all from places I've always wanted to see. From the oceans and seas, to places where only ice or sand is about. If you think about it, rain could have come from anywhere at any point in time. So I enjoy watching it and thinking I'm  _this_  much closer to seeing the outside world."

Jean hummed in response to this and a small smile crept up on his face. "You sure know a lot about what's outside the walls. I'm guessing you've done some illegal reading in your past?"

The blonde, whose cerulean eyes had lit up in amazement and wonder, suddenly realized his mistake and closed in on himself in fear. He'd gotten carried away and had completely spilled the beans about his past events.

Jean only chuckled though. "It's fine. I won't say a word. Besides, your knowledge might come in handy when Yeager eventually gets himself into trouble outside the walls."

Armin cracked a smile at this and relaxed slightly. "That oversized mouth of his is going to be his downfall. I just know it."

Jean actually laughed at this and ruffled the blonde's hair. "So you  _do_  make jokes! I thought you were a mute most of the time!"

The boy grinned and he fixed his hair. "I don't like making waves. It's easier just to sit still and let things fall into place. I always got bullied when I was little so I just learned to keep to myself. Even that got me thrown to the ground more times than expected." He jolted slightly at this and turned to the taller boy. "I-I'm sorry! You… you probably don't want to hear my sob story! I'll just… I'll shut up."

The boy closed his book and made a break for the barracks, leaving Jean on the porch wondering what had come over the blonde so quickly.

He followed Armin into the barracks and towards the boy's bed. He was combing down his hair nervously and Jean took note of his minor slouch and his awkward sitting position along with his cold and nervous stare towards the ground. In that moment Armin looked so tiny and helpless. Like he was waiting to be put down for something he didn't even do.

Jean kneeled in front of the blonde and looked up into his bright blue eyes, noting how they shone lustrously even in the dim light of the barracks. Even with this little trait, he still looked as if he were on the brink of tears.

He noticed Jean right away and apologized for his actions, making the taller teen clasp a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"Don't worry about it, Armin!" The teen chuckled out. "Geez, you act as if I'm about to hit you for no reason!"

The blonde only sat there in silence, slowly curling in on himself. He was all too familiar with bullies and there absence in reason for hurting someone. Jean wasn't exactly a bully, but he saw how he and Eren got along and he wanted no part of the boy's anger.

Jean, however, felt his heart sink at how frightened this boy was of him. He could admit that his anger made him a pretty irrational and somewhat scary guy, but it's not like he'd take it out on someone like Armin. Someone who literally does nothing and still apologises for this. He even goes out of his way to apologise for his friends and others in the camp, knowing full well he could just as easily leave it be and continue on his way. In some ways, Jean truly respected Armin for everything he did. He was a trustworthy friend and ally to those around him, he never stirred up any trouble, and he always had a kind word to say if you needed it.

This world needed more people like Armin around.

Jean took the blonde's hand in his own to stop him from nervously fidgeting with his hair. "Stop being so afraid of me, blondie. I'm not gonna hit you, and I won't yell at you either. I'm reserving that energy for Yeager and you know it."

The boy was still silent but slowly nodded anyway, hunching over a bit more.

"I'm so useless." He whispered to himself.

"Hey! Don't talk about yourself like that!" Jean demanded. "If anyone's useless around here it's Connie! He's been here for months on end and he still manages to piss off Shadis to an alarming level!"

Armin cracked a smile at this and tried his hardest not to giggle at the thought. "He really hasn't learned a thing, has he?"

Jean squeezed his hand reassuringly with a smile. It was then that he remarked on how soft the boy's skin was, even after months of training and working to becoming a soldier. It amazed the teen that the blonde still managed to keep his being in a cleanly state most of the time. If he even had any scars on him, they weren't visible to the naked eye.

The taller of the two let go of the blonde's hand and stood up, looking outside the window. "Looks like we'll be seeing rain all through the night. You think it'll be here tomorrow too?"

"I hope so!" The blonde replied quietly but happily, a small precious smile gracing his face.

Jean felt a slight thump in his chest at seeing this smile and could feel his cheeks grow hot. He chased it away before Armin could notice it, but he still felt an odd clenching feeling in his chest after witnessing such an adorable look of joy on the boy's face.

Jean had noticed from the moment he'd met Armin that the boy had an odd effect on him. Every smile was few and precious, and each time his eyes sparkled in true happiness it sent the teen's head into a dizzying spiral. He'd noticed this a long time ago but never really thought anything of it since he never spent that much time around the blonde. At the moment, however, getting to know Armin and actually spend even a fraction of time with him, made the taller teen smile warmly.

Jean coughed nervously into his hand and looked off towards another window. "Well, I hope one of the commanders at least gives us an assignment to do tomorrow. I hate being stuck indoors for too long."

Armin was silent for a few moments, glancing back and forth between Jean and the window. He seemed to be processing an activity that would keep the taller boy occupied while still sort of enjoying the rain.

"Well…" the blonde began, "we could play a game of chess or talk."

Jean shook his head. "I need to be doing something physical."

The blonde thought for another moment before looking around the room, glancing down at a pillow. A sudden thought came to mind of all the times Eren and him had had sleepovers back in Shiganshina.

And an idea came to mind.

Just as Jean was thinking about giving up on the weather altogether, he felt a fluffy – yet hard – smack to his head and he went tumbling to the floor. When he looked up he saw a tiny blonde head peeking out from behind a pillow, giggling to himself over his full frontal attack.

Jean smiled, but his glare spoke revenge. "Oh, it is  _on_  blondie!"

The boy shrieked playfully as Jean grabbed a pillow and smacked the boy as hard as he could without hurting him. Armin did manage to pull away a few times and get a few hits in, but with Jean being taller and stronger it was easier for him to get more hits in. Either way, both Armin and Jean were giggling and having a blast with their little pillow fight. It was like turning back time for just a few moments to be kids once again.

Maybe that was all they needed to cut the tension of what was looming over them in the near future.

Once the fight was nearing an end, Jean being the overall victor of the battle, some of the other trainees entered into the barracks and saw the two giggling teens facing off against each other with their pillows. Each waiting for the other to make a strike.

Soon enough, Connie and Sasha were in on the fight – others joining in after them – and things became a bit too hectic for the teens to stay indoors. They ended up taking a breather on the porch and waiting for the others to calm down before going back inside.

Jean chuckled. "I wish most rainy days were that fun."

Armin grinned at this before looking away and watching the rain fall, combing a length of hair behind his ear.

Another twisting and thumping pain shot through Jean's chest and he grinned at the boy beside him. Despite him being male, Armin was quite the looker, though Jean would never have admitted it to himself. His blonde hair was always neatly trimmed and clean, his skin soft and glowing, and his eyes sparkled brighter than any stars. At that moment Jean got to experience all of this including his dazzling smile and the adorable way his nose wrinkled when he smiled truly and honestly. Before he could think anything more though…

"Armin!" Eren's unmistakable voice shattered through Jean's calming thoughts.

The boys happily greeted each other as Mikasa trailed in from behind, making Jean's heart lurch somewhat at the close proximity of his desire.

"What's going on in there?" Eren asked as he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder towards the screeching teens inside the barracks.

Armin giggled, making Jean smile warmly. "Pillow fight. And I think Sasha and Connie are pitted against each other."

Eren laughed at the explanation before heading indoors to join in on the fight. Mikasa following in right behind him.

Jean marvelled at the way the girl strode past him and took note of how sweet she smelled, even after walking through the rain.

Armin giggled again. "Now that Mikasa has joined the fight, I doubt anyone is safe."

Within moments the two heard a few thuds and curses coming from inside the barracks, making the blonde sigh heavily.

"That was sooner than expected." He remarked, looking up at the taller boy. "I should go help."

Before Jean could nod and let him go help his friends, the blonde took a moment to hug the taller teen around the waist with a small smile.

"I'm glad we got to spend some time together." He admitted, making the taller blush slightly. "Marco was right… you can be sweet when you want to be."

At this, Jean growled. "When did he say this?"

Armin only giggled again and hugged tighter. At this, Jean only let it slide and hugged the boy back, being careful not to let anyone see so he wouldn't become the butt of everyone's joke tomorrow morning. Although he found it less than shameful to be seen with Armin, he still didn't want people saying untrue things about the two.

In that slight moment of a hug Jean noticed the blonde had an intoxicating smell to him that sent his mind whirling and set his skin ablaze.

"Lilies?" He whispered to himself, making Armin back up and away from the boy.

"Err… y-yes. I… I bought it from the market to cover up the smell of sweat after bathing. The soap smelled like white lilies, which are my favourites, so I jumped on the opportunity to buy it. Please don't tell anyone."

Jean only grinned at the boy. "Only if you don't tell anyone lilies are my favourite flower as well."

Armin seemed rather surprised at this. "Really? Why's that?"

The boy shrugged. "My mother had them in our house a lot so they remind me of home. Any reason they're your favourites?"

The boy fiddled with his hair slightly as he nervously looked to the ground. "My mother used to take me to the fields and we'd make flower crowns out of them. It's my favourite memory of her before…"

He trailed off and Jean looked away from his eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"It's in the past now." He interrupted, looking up at him with a grin. "Besides, knowing her she wouldn't want me dwelling on the past like this."

Another thud from inside the barracks caught their attention and Armin stifled a laugh.

"I really should help them out now." He said in a hurry before opening the door. "But we'll talk later?"

Jean hummed in delight at the promise. "Sure thing."

The shorter teen smiled warmly before heading indoors to help out everyone who was facing Mikasa's wrath. Jean had no intention of getting in-between the girl and her assailants however. Another reason the boy respected Armin so much…

…the blonde was brave.

The scent on lilies still lingered in the air as Jean quietly remembered his home. Despite all the little skirmishes he had with his mother, he still missed her terribly.

He chuckled to himself when he thought about a younger Armin sitting in a field and weaving a flower crown for someone to wear and his heart gave another pang of pain. This pain he'd been feeling was anything but painful though. In fact… he almost liked the pain. It wasn't something he felt with Mikasa or even Marco. It was something completely different.

The teen looked up at the grey sky and smiled.

"Not that bad a day after all."

Maybe the rain tomorrow wouldn't be as bad as he believed.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Unlikely Partners**

The sound of rain pattering against the window was what first woke up Jean from his peaceful slumber. What kept him in place, however, was the sleeping angel not far from his own bed.

The warm feeling in his heart returned that morning after seeing Armin curled up in a tiny ball of comfort and peacefulness, breath steady and calm as the rain continued to pour outside. The boy looked so peaceful and quiet, as if there was nothing in the world that could take him away from this harmony. Normally Jean would have never noticed this in someone, let alone a fellow trainee, but today had been different.

Why the sudden change?

As soon as the teen sat up in his bunk and stretched out his limbs he noticed that they were the only two left in the barracks. Meaning everyone else had gone for breakfast ages ago.

The boy looked up and out the window, his tired eyes flicking with each raindrop that hit the glass. It was still early. They could still get some breakfast before being commanded to an assignment or whatever they'd be doing today.

The teen crawled out of bed and dressed into his regular clothes before tiredly making his way over to Armin. A small blush appeared on his face when he saw the little ball of peace and warmth cuddle into his blanket a bit more as he placed a hand on his shoulder. It honestly should be illegal to be as cute as this little blonde was being.

"Armin," he spoke softly, "you gotta get up or you'll miss breakfast."

The blonde only mumbled something in return and forced the blanket over his head. "Too tired."

Jean had to cover his mouth to hide the smile on his face. This kid was the epitome of adorable right now.

Jean chased away the blush and shook the boy yet again. "Armin, get up. You can't miss breakfast."

The blonde peeked out from under his blanket and Jean couldn't help his smile at the tiny little head silently begging him to let him sleep. Even his tired eyes, which were trying to glare at him menacingly, were shining too brightly to make him look even remotely scary. The blonde was just not meant to be fearsome in any way.

Jean snickered slightly and patted the boy's shoulder. "Come on, you need food. Plus it's still raining today. You like rain, remember."

The boy groaned slightly before forcing himself to sit up and face the taller teen, rubbing the sleep from his eye.

"How much rain is there?" He asked tiredly.

The teen ruffled the blonde locks, noting to himself how soft they were, before replying with, "It's a downpour out there. No need for showers today."

Armin hummed at this and blindly looked around for his clothes to change into. Jean decided to stay and help him out a bit just because the boy was moving so slowly.

He handed him his shirt. "You aren't much of a morning person, are you?"

He shook his head, blonde tresses waving back and forth. He then gave a quiet little yawn and Jean immediately turned away to keep from giggling. The kid really was adorable some days, but this was almost too much.

Once he was dressed and his hair somewhat combed, the two made for the mess hall in order to get some breakfast. Armin was still moving slowly up until he got into the cold rain and he had to rush into the mess hall in order not to freeze from the cold drops of water. It was a sight to behold watching his tired eyes shoot into large orbs of surprise after being hit with cold rain. It actually made Jean smile and laugh slightly.

"An odd combination," the teen remarked once they were safe under the roof of the mess hall deck, "someone who likes rain, but hates mornings."

The boy shivered in his wet clothes, holding his arms close to him for warmth. "W-w-worst wake up c-call ever."

The taller teen chuckled and opened the door for him. "Get some food and warm up."

"H-happily." The blonde chattered out, smiling slightly.

Breakfast went on as per usual, Jean sitting with Marco and Armin sitting with Eren and Mikasa, and everyone enjoying the sight of Sasha and Connie fighting over bread – yet again – before Commander Shadis addressed everyone with the plan for this gloomy weather.

"Listen up, maggots!" He called out, having everyone stand at attention for him. "Due to the situation with the weather, training outdoors will be limited. Therefore, the next few weeks will be spent on a written assignment on a subject given to you by your classroom instructor. This assignment will require you to be in pairs so take the next few moments to find a partner. Get to it!"

The mess hall was soon in a frenzy of people hurrying to grab their partners. Of course Jean thought for a quick moment about getting Mikasa to be his partner, but the girl had already made Eren her partner and it was too late for him. His second choice, Marco, had also been taken by Mina just moments before he could ask. Soon enough there was only one person left to be his partner…

…

…but it wasn't the most terrible choice in a partner.

Jean grinned to himself before standing up and walking towards the nervous looking blonde sitting in the corner. It wasn't as if Armin made the effort to find a partner anyway as he just sat there and watched as everyone found their own partners – even his so called 'best friends' – while Jean had done the same and was now the only one to partner up with.

He sat across from the blonde and the boy stiffened slightly. "Looks like we're partners."

Armin grinned slightly and relaxed a bit. "I guess we are."

Jean heard a low growl come from Eren as the brunette glared at the taller teen. "You'd better pull your own weight, Kirstein."

Jean only rolled his eyes and stood up from his seat. "Let's go grab our assignment before the good stuff is taken."

The blonde nodded silently in agreement before following the tawny haired boy. As luck would have it, they were tenth in line to grab an assignment from the instructor, so they could begin working on it almost immediately upon receiving it.

They walked up to the instructor when it was their turn and saluted properly.

"Arlert and Kirstein," the man spoke in his gruff voice. "You two will be writing an assignment on the different methods of tracking and navigation. You will choose one form of each and write an essay, as well as a report, on the methods chosen. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" They answered in unison.

The instructor handed them their file and they were on their way. Armin immediately took interest in the topic.

"You do tracking and I'll do navigation." He suggested to the taller boy. "I've been reading up on navigation through stars and I was hoping for a chance to bring up the topic with the instructors here."

"Navigation with stars?" Jean questioned. "I've never heard of something like that."

Armin smiled warmly at the boy before grabbing his hand gently. "Come on, I'll show you!"

For however small the blonde was on the outside, he was pretty strong when it suit him best. It almost made Jean laugh at how much this boy was excited over a little assignment like this. Watching his eyes light up and twinkle at the thought of getting to impress others with what he knew was such a beautiful sight. It was like watching the sun rise from behind the darkness and seeing a brand new day unfold in front of you slowly yet gorgeously. His smile put the sun to shame with how bright and cheery it could be in times when it truly mattered.

Armin dragged Jean outside and towards the library, uncaring that the two of them got soaked in the process. To be honest they ran so fast they barely got as soaked as they did before breakfast. When it really did matter, Armin was quicker and a lot stronger than Jean gave him credit for.

_'Huh, now if only he could show this enthusiasm in training!'_  He thought cheerfully as he was dragged through water and mud towards the library.

They entered into the building, taking off their boots in order not to drag mud. They then silently made their way towards the books at the back shelves where no one really read any of the options given, and the blonde pulled out book by book the ones they needed for this assignment.

As Jean carried each book that was being piled into his arms, each one getting heavier and heavier, he chuckled to himself at Armin's enthusiasm.

"How many of these have you read exactly?" He asked as a sort of rhetorical question.

Armin turned back to him, having pulled out another book, and shied away a bit at the question. He looked as if he were guilty of committing a crime. "Err… umm… a few? I stopped counting after twenty two."

Jean rearranged the seven books in his arms and chuckled. "I think we'll get the best mark in the class!"

The boy faintly smiled at this and Jean noticed a small sparkle in his eyes at the small compliment.

"Well…" he spoke softly, "you still have to do your part correctly. Most of those books are about tracking methods though, so you should find something worth your time on reading."

"Hopefully," the taller of the two replied as he set down the books on a table. "I have to keep up with you, don't I? And you've already got a topic in navigation. Speaking of which, how do you navigate using the stars? I thought you were going to tell me."

Armin jolted at this and looked at the book in his hands. "Right! Here, look at this."

He sat down at the table, book wide open and Jean sitting next to him, then pointed at an expertly drawn picture of the sky. "This right here is called a constellation. They're stars that people placed together in order to create stories or help others find their way. Before we had compasses and dials, people would look up to the stars at night and trace their steps by watching where the stars were at night. In one instance they noticed that a certain star was always brighter than the others, and never moved from it's place. It's called the North Star, and it always faces North no matter where you turn. This star is also part of the constellation Ursa Major – or 'The Big Bear' – so when people saw Ursa Major, they found the North Star, and used it to determine their whereabouts…"

As Armin continued on in explaining more and more about constellations and the many others people would create for spiritual and practical purposes, the more Jean could feel his heart swell at how open this nervous little blonde was becoming. Truly when he got to talking about something he enjoyed he was a sight to behold. His eyes were bright and cheery, his smile warm and comforting, and his voice almost became melodic and soothing in a way. Were Jean given the choice, he would have listened to him talk about stars all day.

As Armin continued to speak on and on about the marvelous mystery of stars, Jean listened with his heart and soul focussed on each passing word. Despite his usual quiet and tepidness, Armin was being quite the opposite today. It was the rarest occasion to see him acting so different form his usual self, but Jean couldn't help but enjoy the beauty of such a remarkable turnaround. Armin was indeed a timid soul, but he had so much more to offer if one was willing to listen and pay attention to him.

And it was such a beautiful sight to behold.

Not long after Armin finished his, not-so-little, explanation about stars and navigation with them, did he notice Jean's warm smile and focussed eyes and realized he'd been talking for close to an hour about something as small an insignificant as stars and blushed at his overall behaviour.

"Sorry. I know I talk too much when it comes to stuff like this…"

Jean only chuckled. "Quit saying you're sorry! I was enjoying the lesson, and it's a hell of a lot more interesting than tracking animals and people. I didn't even know we could use stars as a navigation mechanism until you brought it up."

The boy only shrugged, his blush deepening slightly. "I used to read about it when I was a kid and try to find as many constellations as I could when the sky was clear. I could usually find Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, but the others were a bit difficult. I did find Orion's belt on the first try though."

"You'll have to show them to me when the weather clears up a bit more." Jean suggested. "I'm interested in finding them for myself."

Armin's blush deepened a bit before his hand raised slightly to fiddle with his hair. He then turned to look into the teen's eyes. "Sure thing. We can do that."

A moment of silence passed between the two and Jean was astonished to find Armin's eyes almost a shade lighter than what they had been beforehand. It was absolutely stunning how much brighter and more lively they were than yesterday afternoon. It was such an astounding transformation that it sent Jean's heart into overdrive and his mind went blank. Had Armin always looked so goddamn beautiful? Or was he just actually seeing him for the first time since their first day as cadets together?

Before anything else could be said through the silence, and Jean could make a stupid comment about Armin's stunning appearance, more people began to flood into the library. Soon, none other than Eren and Mikasa were joining their presence and Jean was left in his cold feeling of shock and awe.

"What's wrong with horse-face?" Eren asked bluntly. "Too many big words?"

Mikasa elbowed him in the side, making the brunette yelp slightly, and Jean shook his head of the thoughts whirling around in his brain.

"I was just thinking about the stars as navigation like Armin described." He lied. "It seems like a difficult thing to accomplish."

Armin shook his head silently. "It really isn't. If it clears up a little tonight I can show you."

"Fat chance." Eren replied. "It's supposed to be cloudy and rainy all night again. But we got two weeks to finish the assignment so…"

As Eren began to trail off on his own thoughts about the weather and ideas for his assignment, Jean glanced up at Mikasa and found that her eyes really weren't as dark and deep as he'd imagined. To be honest, this was as close as he'd gotten to her and he'd noticed more now than he'd noticed from afar. Her hair was limp and lifeless, her eyes almost soulless. Her skin, though well kept, didn't have a glow to it like he'd noticed in others. All in all… she was a shell. She didn't even have that much of an opinion in this whole written assignment thing. Eren just told her to write her own portion and she agreed. Why would she take orders from him anyway? Was this really someone he'd fallen for?

He guessed he'd only fallen for her looks. And why not? She was still gorgeous in her own way, and she had an attraction to her. But she was just… plain. She didn't really have her own mind or thoughts. She just… lived. It was like watching a porcelain come to life but not being granted any emotion. It was… boring.

Jean suddenly glanced to his right and noticed Armin was back to being calm and timid as usual. But the blush from before had not yet calmed down from his realization over his prattling. This made the taller boy grin and think about how excited the blonde had been to talk about his passion and interest to someone willing to listen. How beautiful it'd been to watch him emerge from his little imaginary bubble and talk about something he loved more than anything else in the world. It was precious and lively, and more than anything Jean wanted to experience that kind of attitude with him again.

_This_  was what he'd found enchanting about the blonde. His love for anything new and lively, for things nearly unexplainable and odd. He was different from everyone else in the cadets…

…

…and he liked different.

He'd thought Mikasa was different, and he was kind of correct in assuming this. But Jean noticed that she was too different. Her devotion to Eren left her without a mind of her own. Armin had his own devotion to Eren as well, but his interests and love of the world made him that much more interesting when one took the time to listen to him.

And Jean found all of it captivating.

The teen hummed a chuckle in delight at the thought and turned to Armin. "So what kind of tracking do you think would be best to write about?"

The blonde thought about it for a moment before humming himself. "Well, you could do tracking as in hunting. Like for food and animals? It's easy enough to do, and in this weather it would be perfect for finding prints from wildlife around the grounds outside the camp."

"Animal tracking it is." He agreed happily, picking up a book that Armin had given him. "I'll look into hunting a certain animal tomorrow, but I'll get started on the basics for today."

"Try to shoot for something small." Armin suggested, looking over Jean's shoulder to look at the list of edible and easy hunting prey.

Jean stifled the small shudder of delight at having Armin's breath close to his neck and focussed on his list. "I was thinking maybe a deer or a buck?"

"The instructors won't let you hunt for that on your own." The boy reasoned. "It takes a team to take down a buck some days."

"I'm strong! I can do it!" The taller boasted. "Besides, meat is getting scarce now because no one's brave enough to go out and hunt for it."

"Then why not shoot for a boar?" Armin almost pleaded. "It's small, not too quick, and it makes for a good meal or two. You just need Shadis to sign off on a hunt and have someone go with you."

"Fine then,  _you_  come with me!" The boy replied happily. "We'll go hunting for a boar for a week and come back heroes to people like Sasha!"

Armin backed away slightly in a bit of fear. "W-who, me?! Seriously! I… I can't hunt! I'm useless in a hunt! I'd… I'd scare away the meat!"

"You?! Scare away meat?!" Jean practically laughed. "Not with how quiet you usually are! You're more help to me than Marco is in this situation! Knowing him he'd wuss out and let the thing go before we had a chance to feast."

The blonde still looked relatively nervous about his suggestion. "But… what if I mess up?"

Jean ruffled his hair. "You won't mess up! You're perfect for this sort of mission! And we can work on your navigation report while we're hunting as well! So what do you say?!"

Another flush of pink tinted the blonde's face as Jean smiled down at him warmly. Before he could answer, however…

"Absolutely not!" Eren spoke for the boy. "I'm not letting my best friend anywhere near your stupid hunt, and furthermore…"

"Sure." Armin interrupted the boy excitedly. "I'll do it!"

Eren looked absolutely shocked at this. "What!? Armin…!"

"We'll leave in two days?" The blonde ignore his friend.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" The brunette practically yelled.

"Sounds good!" Jean ignored the boy across the table. "I'll get Shadis to sign off on our little expedition."

"You two are ignoring me, aren't you?" Yeager asked, knowing full well that this was the case.

Mikasa only grumbled in concern. "Just bring him back alive, Kirstein. He's my friend too."

Jean put a hand over his heart and another in the air. "You have my word, Mikasa, that I will return your blonde companion in one piece and fully alive. If I do not meet your requirements, you may strike me down as you please." He turned to wink at the blonde.

Armin giggled slightly at this and turned back to his own book. "Then it's settled. We'll leave in two days."

Eren growled menacingly. "I swear to god I'll murder you if I find one scratch on Armin."

Jean only rolled his eyes and got back to his own book. He doubted for even a moment that Eren would be faster than Mikasa in the race to kill him if Armin were hurt, but they both had to realize the kid was a lot stronger than he looked. He needed this more than they believed he did so he can finally feel like he's worth the time spent on him.

Suddenly, in a brief moment of realization, Jean had become aware that he and Armin would soon be on the road together… just the two of them…

…

…alone…

…

...in a tent…

…

…side by side…

…

…

…things could not have gotten more promising than this!

With this kind of excitement running through Jean's veins, he made a stunning realization of himself. He no longer desired Mikasa's company…

…

…he desired Armin's.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Of Puddles and Confessions**

Seriously, how does a fifteen year old act so fucking cute?!

Apparently, only Armin knew the answer.

The beginning of their journey started out normally. The rain had let up a day prior, but of course it began again once they'd left the training grounds with the instructor's permission. The rain had been heavy and cold, but not as bad as it'd been the first time around. At least now they were able to see where they were going. Of course, it didn't stop the mud and water from completely recolouring their boots to a darker and less desirable brown. This didn't exactly make Jean's day better as he knew washing them would be a chore in itself…

…but his mood changed when he heard an odd splashing sound from behind him.

The first time he looked behind him, Armin was still as a post. Questioning why he'd stopped. When he thought it was nothing, he turned back and continued walking.

…

…and then another splash caught his attention.

He looked back, still the same quiet Armin and his questioning gaze.

A moment of staring into the blonde's eyes and he saw something off about them. They seemed to be shiftier than what they usually looked like, and Jean thought for a moment that Armin was hiding something from him.

He hummed at the innocent smile the boy gave him and turned back to his path.

Before even taking a few steps forward though, he turned back around and caught the guilty party of the noise red handed.

Armin had been in mid-jump when Jean turned around and immediately slipped when he noticed Jean had caught him and he landed into said puddle after being surprised.

The taller boy stifled his laugh as he helped up his companion. "Is this the only reason you wanted to join me on a hunt?"

Armin smiled nervously as he tried to brush off some mud from the seat of his pants. "Umm… no. It isn't the  _only_  reason."

The tawny haired boy sighed softly as he noticed the blonde was completely soaked now. "We should find some shelter and get you near a fire. I don't want you freezing to death while I'm out tracking a boar."

The blonde agreed to this and they both soon set off to find somewhere to set up their tent or other shelter that they could use for the moment. They weren't exactly allowed to go far since the instructors had to keep tabs on everyone, but since Jean grew up in Trost he knew the forest around it almost like the back of his hand. If he was correct, they'd come up on a cave soon enough.

And sure enough, they had.

Jean led the boy into the small cave and they dropped off their supplies. Thankfully everything had been wrapped and protected from the rain so nothing but the clothes on their backs were wet.

Armin shivered slightly as he tried to leave the cave. "I'll go find some firewood."

"No, you stay here!" Jean commanded, getting in-between the boy and the mouth of the cave. "You're shivering and soaked to the core. Stay here and try to warm up a bit. Maybe find some kindling if you can in the cavern here. I'll go out and get the firewood."

"But I…"

"Just… stay." Jean practically begged, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. "I don't want you to get sick."

Reluctantly, Armin nodded at this and backed up into the cavern. Before Jean left to find the firewood, however, he brought out his blanket along with Armin's and cocooned him in the soft material.

The one mistake he made, however, was looking into his large blue eyes and seeing the immense gratitude behind them once he was covered in the warm blankets. Those eyes lit a fire inside Jean that was indescribable. It wasn't like an enraged type of flame, the kind reserved for his little bouts with Eren. It was a flame that said, 'I want this moment to last a lifetime'.

Unfortunately, the moment was fleeting. However much he wanted to stay there and look into those large blue orbs of Armin's, he needed to get a fire going so the poor kid didn't freeze to death.

He backed away suddenly and took a breath. "I'll be back in a moment. Try not to die."

Armin only scoffed. "' _Try_ ' being the operative word, correct?"

Jean chuckled softly. "It was just a joke, Arlert. I have full faith in you to stay alive while I'm gone."

With that, he pulled up his hood and made for the trees. It would take some time to find enough dry wood to start a fire, but after that it wouldn't matter. He urged himself to hurry though so he could get Armin some warmth before the sun went down.

An hour and a half later he'd gathered up enough wood to make a small fire in their cave. As well, he managed to find some tracks from a few animals in the area. Some were bigger than what he'd been aiming for, like the heavy buck he'd have to say goodbye to due to restrictions in his party. But there were a few he'd be able to take down and bring back. He settled on going after the fox since the tracks it'd left were closer to his cave.

He entered into the cavern and found the blonde boy shivering as he set up a small kindling pit. At this, Jean got worried.

He dropped the logs and sticks next to his gear and ran to Armin's side, taking his hands and noting to himself how cold they were.

The taller boy grumbled in both worry and fear. "Take off your clothes."

Armin immediately took an offence to this and backed away, covering his chest with the blanket. "W-what!"

"You're freezing cold and it's because you're in wet clothes." Jean explained. "You need to strip down and dry out your uniform."

"O-oh…" came the stuttered, embarrassed reply. "R-right… I'm sorry. I…"

Jean pat his shoulder positively. "It's fine. Just be sure to keep the blankets around you until you aren't shivering anymore. I'll get the fire going."

The blonde nodded as he started on his clothes, giving Jean the go ahead to get the fire going right away so the boy could warm up.

It took a few strikes of his flint, and some not so subtle cusses from Jean, but in no time the spark took and a flame came to life. Once sticks and logs were added onto it, it became a roaring and heat-filled fire that warmed the entire cave in no time. With this, Armin's clothes should be dried in no time.

Until then…

Jean made another mistake that evening and looked back to find the blonde clad in nothing but his standard issue boxers as he placed his clothes carefully by the fire so they wouldn't be hit by any flying sparks while still getting dried by the heat. For the first time since meeting the blonde, Jean had full view of Armin's entire body…

…and it was making the internal flame that much harder to ignore.

However the hell this blonde managed to keep his skin presentable and perfect-looking was beyond Jean's thoughts. He saw no scars, no scratches, and barely any bruises despite the past few days where he nervously – and constantly – tripped over his own feet. And, even despite his small stature, the boy had some muscle to him. None that you could see when they were covered by that heavy jacket and boots, but a toned physique you could clearly see were you to get this rare bareness from him. Which wasn't often mind you since the boy changed under the covers most times, or lightning fast so no one could see him.

At the moment however, his cold body was slowing him down. Which made the amazing sight last longer than it would have back at the barracks.

The boy quickly covered himself with the blanket and turned to face Jean who'd quickly snapped his attention back at the fire.

He looked up nonchalantly at the blonde, as if he wasn't just checking out the pale angel just a moment ago. "Better?"

He nodded as he sat beside the taller teen. "Slightly… but at least I'm not shaking."

Jean put a tentative hand on the boy's shoulder blade and softly rubbed his back. "Just stay by the fire and in the blankets. You should be alright by tomorrow morning."

The blonde hummed at the soothing gesture and lay his head on the teen's shoulder, making Jean jolt slightly at the sudden affection. "Thank you."

Jean paused his movements altogether now as he looked down at the frozen angel cuddling into him. Soon, his hand moved across his back and onto his shoulder to pull him in slightly and making the taller boy's lips curl into a gentle smile.

"No problem."

It was a few moments of silence before Armin dug his face into the crook of Jean's neck and took a sniff.

He pulled back slightly and looked up at Jean. "So  _you_  were the one to take my soap!"

The taller boy smiled innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Armin's lips puffed into a pout, effectively making Jean blush at the rather adorable sight. Did Armin seriously think he was menacing?  _Him_?

Jean chuckled softly as he pulled Armin back into the warmth. "Okay, I admit it. I took your special soap. But I had a good reason…"

"I blamed Eren for it." He growled at the teen, allowing himself to be enraptured in his warmth. "I owe him a huge apology thanks to you!"

"Is that why you two weren't speaking to each other today?" Jean asked, rather bemused by what he'd unintentionally started.

Armin didn't answer. He just looked up at the brunette and asked, "Why'd you take it?"

Jean felt his cheeks go hot as he scratched behind his head. "Well, like I said, it smelled like the lilies my mother used to place around her house. It made me think of home. I saw you had two bars, so I… helped myself."

"You stole my property." Armin reiterated.

Jean smiled sheepishly. "I did… and I'm sorry. Tell you what, I'll take you into Trost and get you as many bars as you want. We'll smuggle them in past Shadis and you can be the best smelling boy in camp again!"

The blonde glared up at him with his puppy eyes, Jean more-so fazed by the adorable effect than the 'menacing' one, before he huffed and made a slight grin.

"That,  _and_  you buy me some fresh bread. The stuff served to us is so stale I think a rock is permanently formed in my stomach from eating so much of it."

"Deal." The taller agreed before throwing in another log to the fire. "Sorry again, by the way. I hope you know I planned on replacing it anyway."

The boy hummed and curled into the blankets a bit more. "It's alright, I guess. I just… it made me upset to see one gone. It's why I was mad at Eren and blamed him. Only he knew about them besides you, and he knew how important it was to me."

"A bar of soap?" The brunette questioned.

Armin's blue eyes met his golden ones. "It's not the soap. It's the smell. It reminded me of my mother… of when she was closer to me… before…"

His eyes began watering up slightly and Jean immediately regretted taking the boy's possession.

"Geez, Armin, I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed apologetically, moving away from the boy to look him in the eye. "I should have never taken that bar! I'm such an idiot! Of course you should be mad! God what an absolute moron I am!"

He continued on with self-insults and curses until Armin stopped him with a gentle hand on his cheek. His sombre blue orbs slowly returning to happier ones. The sudden touch setting Jean's skin hot and tingling, while his eyes made his heart quake and his breath hitch in his throat.

"It's alright, Jean." He spoke softly. "I know you must miss home too. And I'm glad you loved the scent enough to get your own, however unethical your ways of getting it were."

The brunette shook his head solemnly. "It was wrong of me to do something like that. Especially…" he trailed off at this, not wanting Armin to know his real feelings just yet.

Of course, this didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. "Especially…?"

He glanced up at the boy and quickly looked away, removing the boy's hand from his face. "Err… especially now… what with the hunt and everything. How am I expected to have trust you when you can't even have trust me, correct?"

Armin hummed once again at his words and cuddled in closer to the teen for warmth. "I suppose you're right. But then, if I really couldn't trust you… you wouldn't have saved me from the cold like you did. You would've let me shiver and freeze in my wet clothes." He chuckled lightly before turning to look into Jean's eyes. "Or was that just a ruse to get me half-naked?"

The blush on Jean's cheeks deepened at that question and Armin had his answer.

"I see…"

"N-no! No! I… you were freezing!" The teen reasoned. "You were soaked…!"

"Because I 'fell' into a puddle." He repeated to him calmly, a sly smirk on his face.

Jean felt his own face fall. "You… you did that on purpose?"

"I had a hunch that had been nagging me for days. Its name was 'Eren'. He kept saying things like you were ogling over me or that you had other intentions for this whole hunting expedition. I aimed to prove him wrong."

Jean now felt his entire body go hot at the sudden realization that he'd been outed thanks to his own facial features failing him from keeping a steel expression. And if Eren noticed this about him, then it was most certain that Armin knew.

Jean hid his face in his left hand as the boy giggled slightly. "I'm gonna kill that kid."

"So… is that a confirmation on your feelings towards me?" The blonde asked.

Jean only grumbled to himself before looking up at the boy with a smirk. "Tell you what… I'll tell you how I feel about you, if you give me a confirmation on your own feelings about me."

The blonde looked him up and down for a moment before smiling at the boy.

"My feelings towards you are no different than they were when I first got to know you. You're smart, handsome, incredibly talented, and I've wanted you to notice me for a long time coming. However, I gave up on that thought when I saw you ogling Mikasa." He looked away then and began tracing circles on the ground, his voice lowering to that which was close to a whisper. "And why wouldn't you ogle her? She's beautiful, talented, smart, and loyal. She's everyone's favourite."

Jean felt his heart clench at this and he hummed at the words. "She is, isn't she..." He then laughed softly at the thought of his own feelings. "But she's got one flaw in her that made me think otherwise. The one thing missing from her that you have more of in your little finger than she has in her entire being."

Armin looked up at the teen in wonder. "And… what might that be?"

Jean took the chance and leaned in to press his lips against the blonde's, feeling his very being numb over in delight and ecstasy. Armin himself had stilled for a moment before relaxing into the kiss and snaking his hands up and into Jean's hair as the taller teen pulled him in from the small of his back, dragging him into his lap where the blanket fell from his shoulders and onto the cave floor. This moment more passionate and intense the longer they stayed connected.

Once they broke apart for air, Jean answered him breathlessly.

"Personality."

Armin's cold hands gripped at the collar of his shirt as his cheeks turned red. "N-no… I don't…"

Jean silenced him with a kiss, breaking it off only to shower him in kind words and small pecks wherever his lips could lay them.

"Armin, you have no idea how beautiful you really are. When you talk about something interesting to you, or when you get excited over the smaller things. Every time your eyes light up and your smile shines through those nervous lips, it sends my entire being into chaos." He placed gentle kisses on his jawline and neck now. "Mikasa is beautiful, but you are fucking stunning! Your eyes put the stars you love so much to shame, your smile makes the daylight wish it was as bright as such. And don't even get me started on how fucking adorable you are because blondie…" he trailed off, looking up into those bright orbs he loved so much, "…I just don't have the years to tell you."

Each passing remark, each soft and well-placed kiss, was making Armin blush more and more under his touch. But with each word came a new feeling in Armin's chest that no one could else could make him feel.

The blonde smiled down at his lover and rested his forehead atop of the one below. "Is this your admission to liking me?"

Jean's lips curled into a smile. "Only if you like what I said."

Armin answered with a chaste kiss before breaking away and humming.

"I loved every word."

The taller teen chuckled slightly as he leaned back all the way until he was lying down on the cave floor and holding Arin close to his chest, feeling the blonde cuddle into him lovingly.

"I suppose this means you're all mine now." Jean said happily. "I wonder just how much Eren is going to hate me for snatching you up."

Armin only hummed. "Don't start anything when we get back please. We still have a few days out here anyway. Let's just enjoy it."

The taller teen then looked outside to see that the rain had stopped fully and completely. The mood now shining light into the cave.

"We could go stargazing." He suggested. "That seems like a fun first date thing to do."

Another hum from the blonde as he snuggled in closer. "When I'm warmed up."

Jean only scoffed at this. "Like you didn't get hot and flustered during that kiss."

A light smack to his side was the boy's response as he fell into slumber atop the teenager. The two perfectly comfortable with where they were for the night. Come morning they'd have to separate and go out looking for animals to catch. But for now…

…for now, they were comfortable.

Jean hummed to himself.  _'Best rainy day, ever.'_

 


	4. Chapter 4

**The Best Way to Celebrate a Good Grade**

"I told you we'd get the best grade in the class!" Jean exclaimed happily when they entered the barracks.

Armin merely rolled his eyes at the brunette's enthusiasm. "Only because you brought back meat to share with the others. Had you brought back nothing I'm too sure our grade would have fallen AND you'd have broken Sasha's heart."

Jean closed the door behind him and locked it, making sure that they were completely alone. "Must you be negative over a good thing like this?!"

"It's not negativity," Armin explained, stepping towards Jean, "it's called being pragmatic. I'm seeing things from both sides and making informed thoughts about which is more likely."

Jean hummed a laugh at this and gently placed his hands on either side of Armin's neck, his thumbs grazing over his jawline. "You're adorable, you know that?"

The blonde only smiled at this before holding onto the brunette's hands to pull himself up to connect their lips. It was still a secret between the two that any of this had started at all, but neither minded hiding it from the rest of the cadets since they both knew they'd never hear the end of it from the others. Connie and Sasha would especially take great pleasure in embarrassing the two, and Reiner would constantly make snide comments about the two getting married like he did with Franz and Hannah. Not to mention Eren would have a heart attack if he found out, and Mikasa would have killed Jean with her bare hands.

No, it was best that the two weren't found out… yet.

Jean took control of the situation and slowly backed the blonde up until he reached his bed, making him fall back in the process. From there on, things got more heated.

Jean lay feathery kisses on Armin's jaw and neck until he returned to his lips, this time more fevered and demanding yet still as gentle as he could be for the smaller boy. Armin himself allowed the boy to shower him in kisses and had become needier by the minute. Though the two hadn't gone far from just heated and passionate kisses stolen when they were truly alone with each other, each of them knew this was bound to happen sooner or later. The blonde himself prayed for sooner though.

Armin felt a wet appendage lick at his lip in demand for entrance, and he accepted it right away. Their tongues danced together in a fight over dominance, but of course Jean won over him.

The brunette pulled away for air and continued his onslaught of kisses down Armin's neck and chest, stopping only to undo the buttons to his shirt. He could feel his pants grow tighter with each passing moment, and he knew he couldn't hold out on this for much longer.

He pulled back from the boy to strip his own shirt and toss it away and Armin took the moment to do the same. Being just a bit faster than the teen on top of him, he had the moment to do as he pleased and he unbuckled Jean's pants hastily. Though the blonde didn't look like it, he really could be a deviant when given the chance. Eren and Mikasa knew nothing about this of course, but the truth still stood.

Jean smirked at Armin's impatience and grabbed his hands from his pants to pin them to the bed. "You just can't wait a few more moments can you."

The blonde's breath was shallow and heavy now in want and ecstasy. "Jean… I've wanted you for such a long time. I don't want to wait a few more moments."

The taller teen cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah?" He then backed up a bit, bringing the blonde with him, and straddled the smaller boy on his lap as he lay back on the pillow. "Tell me more about that. How badly do you want me?"

The boy glared at him for a moment before smirking at Jean's overconfidence.

Armin placed a hand on Jean's bare chest, lightly caressing the sensitive skin beneath his fingertips. "Jean… I can't describe to you how much I wanted you. It was jaw raw and passionate, and I felt as though each touch you made was like fire being sent through my veins."

The boy's feathery light touches gracefully traced small designs all over Jean's chest, making the teen flinch each time he grazed his nipple. Jean honestly felt as though his skin was on fire with each touch sending him into a whole other world of pleasure and excitement. He'd never met anyone who could make him feel this way. Who could make his skin shudder with each touch, his palms sweat in nervousness, and his head spin like a top just by looking at him. Each graceful touch, each kiss, each mouth-watering word was making the brunette lose himself further and further into his desire. And Armin knew full well what he was doing to the teen… and he didn't plan on stopping there.

The blonde got closer to Jean, their bare chests coming into contact. "Tell me… do I make you feel the same? Do I make your skin shudder and ache for more caresses? Do I make your heart skip a beat and your knees weak just by glancing at you?" His hand suddenly travelled lower down his abdomen, his lips brushing against his ear. "Do I make your blood boil?" He whispered, fingertips lightly dragging themselves against his hardened member. "Do I make you lose control and heat up in the moment? Tell me, Jean… do I make you want to sin?"

The fingers that were grazing his member grasped his length and he immediately lost control.

As quick as a cat the boy had his blonde partner pinned to the bed and showered in heated kisses, his hands working on the blonde's pants to get them off. Armin himself took the time to work on Jean's pants, though feebly so since he was pinned down by the larger, taller teen.

As soon as they were both free from the confines of their trousers and boxers, they took a quick moment to engage in another passionate kiss before Jean positioned himself over the blonde.

Before Armin even allowed him entrance though he dug around under the mattress and gave the teen a small canister of oil. He usually used it for his dry skin, but at the moment it would be used as a rudimentary lube. Neither one of them wanted this to be painful for the blonde.

After a moment of preparation with the oil, Jean readjusted himself over his lover, giving him one more passionate kiss, before sliding in slowly and carefully. Making extra sure that Armin was in little to no pain at all. The last thing he wanted was for this angel to get hurt because of him. Even with something as sinful as this, Jean couldn't help but see the blonde as a perfect angel that needed nothing more than to be doted upon and loved.

Once he was fully sheathed by the blonde Jean took one thrust and had to mentally stop himself from devouring his lover over the small and heated moan he'd let escape.

He felt the blonde tighten his hold on the teen. "Jean… please…"

It was all he needed to hear.

He thrust again and felt himself shudder at Armin's pleasured moan. This boy was going to be the death of him, he just knew it.

He started out slowly, making extra sure that his lover wasn't in pain. But as soon as he hit Armin's sweet spot, the blonde immediately demanded that he pick up the pace. Soon enough, the air was filled with moans and squeaks of pleasure from the boy beneath him, his fingernails digging deep into the flesh on Jean's back and his legs hugging at his waist. They nipped at bit at each other's necks and shoulders, kissing only when their eyes met and they delved into the pleasure further. Each time Armin moaned his name, Jean would thrust just a bit harder and whisper Armin's name back. Something about the heated way he spoke his name, completely indulged in desire ecstasy, made Jean lose his control slightly and want to just consume his stunning angel of a lover.

He felt his stomach tighten but before he could warn the blonde,

"Jean… please… inside-" Armin spoke breathlessly. "So close…"

He knew what he meant right away and didn't bother to answer. He just kept his rhythm and let the feeling overcome him.

"Armin…" he whispered in warning.

He felt the walls around him tighten and he knew Armin was almost there. The sudden tightness sent him over the edge and his body shuddered in a state of pure frenzy as he came inside his lover, the blonde following not two seconds after him.

Once he came down from his hype Jean slowly pulled out of the boy beneath him and gently lay himself over his heavy breathing lover. He'd thought for a moment that he was crushing the boy but when he tried to move away Armin just pulled him back and kept him close to him. Breathing heavily still and his hot breath tickling Jean's neck.

Jean laughed tiredly, grabbing Armin's attention. "What's so funny?"

The brunette lay a kiss on the blonde's forehead. "What a way to celebrate a good grade, don't you think?"

The blonde only smiled tiredly at the thought, laying his head on the pillow. "I hope you know this is not going to be an annual thing for us."

Jean finally rolled off the blonde but kept an arm situated over his chest. "It should be. Lord knows my grades in the classroom need work. Maybe I just need…  _incentive._ "

"You just need a study partner." The blonde reasoned, looking up into his golden eyes. "I'd be happy to tutor you."

Jean smirked. "We could make a game of it. For each question I get right you take off an article of clothing."

The boy thought about this before his own smirk graced his face. "Fine then. But for each question you get wrong I withhold any contact we have with each other. This includes kissing, touching, and especially what we just did."

"I'm fine with that." Jean agreed, cuddling into the blonde. "Best study tactic to ever be made."

Armin rolled his eyes. "For you, maybe." A thought then came to the blonde's mind. "Aren't you worried about people finding us here in bed?"

The brunette hummed tiredly. "Not when I locked the door."

Armin only sighed and pulled up the covers around their bodies. "You're going to pay for that later on."

Jean had only half heard what he'd said since he'd fallen asleep not long after, but Armin had indeed been correct when he'd said he'd be in trouble later.

Let it suffice to say the other cadets were less than pleased to having slept outside in the cold rain.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**The Cold Truth**

The last few weeks had been weird for Eren and Mikasa. Namely because Armin would disappear for hours at a time and come back to them completely spent and tired. They had assumed that he'd been seeing someone behind their backs, but they couldn't figure out just who it was he was seeing. They thought it might have been Reiner, or even Annie, since they had been the most friendly towards him outside their little friend group. They didn't care so much whether it was male or female that he was seeing, more-so that he was keeping this secret from them. Was he embarrassed by them? Was he embarrassed by his partner?

Eren growled to himself as a thought came to his mind. "It'd better not be Jean,"

"Hm? You think it could be?" Mikasa asked. "I don't see a huge issue there, but Jean is rather… blunt, most times. He could do some damage…"

"Forget it, it can't be him!" Eren interrupted. "Jean is way too stupid for Armin to consider. We both know that."

"Opposites attract." Mikasa implied. "And Jean did seem to take an interest into Armin right before the assignment we had to do. And what about when he locked you all out? You said he and Armin were the only two in the barracks. It might mean something."

"Armin is a deep sleeper and didn't hear us knocking." Eren defended. "As for Jean, he admitted to hearing us knock just not caring. Maybe Kirstein was just getting back at me for the 'horse-face' comments."

They continued walking down the hall towards the supply room in order to retrieve the cleaning equipment they'd need for cleaning up the mess hall. Each of them in their own little thoughts about who it was that Armin was hiding from them. Eren wanted to believe more than anything that Armin was still saving himself for someone and that Jean was just being a complete ass about everything Eren had called him, but the more he thought about it the more it was making sense. Armin knew the two of them didn't get along so maybe he was keeping it between them for fear of a fight happening. It's not as if a fight  _wouldn't_  happen if he found out…

…but Armin still needed to trust him more than that.

They rounded the corner and headed for the door to the supply room.

"What if it is Jean?" Eren asked in worry and anger. "Why would Armin want someone so self-centered?"

"Maybe he doesn't see him that way," Mikasa implied. "Jean thinks you're full of yourself and an airhead for wanting to bring down the titans… but Armin doesn't think that."

"Still, there's other options." The brunette hissed. "And I don't want to see my best friend get hurt."

"Whether he does or not isn't within your place to decide. You're his friend, and you have to be there for him no matter what happens. Whoever he likes isn't your place to get involved, but you still have to be there to encourage him when things are right, and comfort him when things go south. That's what a best friend is supposed to do, right?"

The boy growled at this as he placed his hand on the doorknob. "I know that… but that doesn't mean I have to like him and act like we aren't rivals."

Before Mikasa could tell him how much of a child the brunette was being about this, they heard a faint and familiar giggle from beyond the door. A small laugh they hadn't heard since their times back in Shiganshina.

Armin.

After looking at each other in pure bewilderment, they both placed an ear to the door when they heard this and listened in on what the blonde was saying. Hoping to catch the name of his new partner.

…

…Eren was not happy.

_"Jean, stop it! We're supposed to be gathering supplies! Do you want to get caught!?"_

The brunette growled audibly, clenching his teeth in pure anger. "I'll kill him!"

Mikasa tried to stop the boy from barging in on their little intimate moment, but she could really only hold him back so much at that moment due to Eren's unrestricted rage. Normally it was no probably for her to manhandle the boy, but at the moment – with Eren being more than protective over Armin – handling him was close to impossible.

The two teens jumped at the slam of the door opening and were stunned to see the brunette barge in with his beastly and enraged eyes glaring mainly at Jean as the two backed up and away from the crazed teen.

Eren pulled at his arms making Mikasa struggle. "I'll fucking kill you, Kirstein!"

The taller brunette hid the blonde behind him as they backed up even more. "You come any closer, Yeager, and I swear I'll stab you in the throat."

Mikasa glared at the teen in anger over this, but Eren  _did_  have a habit of hurting others in the wake of his anger. This included Armin. And with the way Jean was protecting the blonde himself at the moment, it was all too clear that he'd told the taller teen all the times Eren managed to hurt him by accident through his anger. However much Jean was selfish, Mikasa could see he cared deeply for Armin. Enough to get between him and the angry cadet that was glaring him down.

Eren growled again at Jean's closeness to his friend. "I'll give you three seconds to back away from him!"

"Eren," Mikasa spoke softly, "take a good look and tell me what you see."

"I'd rather not," the boy replied as he took a step towards them.

She gripped harder onto his arms. "He's protecting Armin. Now when was the last time you saw Jean think of anyone before himself?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "He obviously cares very deeply for our friend, a lot more than you thought he would. Am I happy they kept this from us? No. Am I happy to see Armin with someone who cares about him? Of course, and so should you be. Jean isn't perfect, but no one is. And you know me as much as Armin does, I don't take kindly to many people getting too close to my friends. I care about you two, and I want you to be happy… so calm down and let them go. We have work to do anyways."

The two were still for the longest time. Both glaring at the two teens in front of them with heated anger. Armin looked scared out of his mind while Jean stood his ground, blocking the blonde from any attack they might encounter with the two angry teens.

Eren glanced over to Armin. "Are you happy with him?  _Truly_  happy?"

The blonde cowered slightly before nodding. "Yes…"

Eren then glared into Jean's eyes. "And you? Do you care about him? Choose your answer wisely, horse-face."

Jean nodded without taking a moment to think.

"I love him with all my heart. I mean it."

Armin looked relatively surprised by this, looking up at the teen with his eyes wide.

Eren grumbled as he freed his arms from Mikasa's death grip. "Whatever then. Just don't let me catch you hurting him. I don't think even Mikasa will hold me back on that instance." He then looked at the blonde. "And  _you're_ not leaving my sight for the next week! I won't have you alone with him for longer than an hour a day!"

Jean scoffed at this. "Good luck with that."

Mikasa stood up to him at this, getting right in his face. "If he goes missing for more than that hour a day, it'll be your head."

Jean, stupidly showing off more bravado than he had, glared into her eyes with a smirk.

"It's not me who makes the dates, Ackerman."

At this Armin immediately blushed and turned away as the other two teens grabbed their cleaning supplies – throwing one last glare of protection towards the taller teen – then left.

With this, Jean finally let out the breath he'd been holding and hunched over in fear and panic.

"I'm about to have my life shortened, aren't I?" He asked fearfully.

Armin didn't answer though. He was too busy with his own thoughts.

"So… you love me?" The blonde questioned, making the taller teen freeze up slightly.

The brunette coughed nervously into his balled up hand and turned to the boy. "Well… I- err… what I meant was…"

"Because… I may or may not… love you too," the shorter interrupted quietly.

With that little sentence, Jean could almost swear he felt his heart burst into a million pieces from the sheer speed it had gone.

"S- -seriously? Really!?"

The blonde nodded.

And just like that, the taller of the two pulled his lover into a hug and spun him around once, confession his love back in pure joy. Maybe it'd just been the heat of the moment, or maybe his blood was still pumping throughout his veins from the fear of everything that had just happened, but Jean truly meant what'd he'd said when facing off against Yeager, and he meant it now. He loved the blonde with all his heart, and he couldn't find a reason for that feeling to ever become nonexistent.

He kissed the top of Armin's head, repeating his 'I love you' over and over. This only made the boy in his arms smile and giggle at his response.

"Eren still won't trust you for the duration of this relationship." He warned. "I suggest sleeping with one eye open."

"I won't have to worry if you're sleeping beside me." The brunette said happily.

Armin perked up at this and looked into the taller teen's golden eyes. "Are you so sure that's a wise decision? People might see…" he spoke the last part in a sarcastic and joking tone.

Jean's response was a chaste kiss on the lips before hugging the boy to his chest. "I don't care. I really don't. If others mock us then they're just jealous. And besides, Eren won't kill you just to get to me. So really, I need you there to save me and be my protector."

Armin giggled at this and patted the teen on the back. "Okay, Jean-boy, I'll keep you save from the meanie Eren."

Jean grumbled at this. "I'm going to kill my mother for embarrassing me like that."

"Aw, but I liked her! She was so sweet when you went to visit her last week! And she makes such lovely biscuits!"

Another grumbled came from Jean's throat. "Fine then, I'll just keep you as far away from her as possible. The last thing I need is you talking about the stories she told you and calling me 'Jean-boy'."

Armin just cuddled into the teen's chest. "Good luck with that. I have plans to see her next week about a certain story she wanted to tell me before you so rudely rushed us out the door. Something about a stairwell…?"

This time Jean managed a growl. "Remind me to make sure you're on cleaning duty for the mess hall that day."

 

**Author's Note:**

> A link to my Tumblr where I post art and other junk. 
> 
> http://obsidianwing.tumblr.com/


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